Covid Money and Community Spending: Can we get answers?

One of the most discussed topics and most requested information from Ridgeview News is the expenditure transparency from County Agencies who received Covid Funding. While there is an actual website for the State titled State of West Virginia American Rescue Plan Funding, there has yet to be much transparency on a county level with details as to where that funding went. At the July Calhoun County Commission meeting the question was raised ”Where did the funding go?” and there was general information as to funding allocations, but again, nothing in great detail. The questions are not being raised with accusations of mismanagement; the questions are being raised because it’s a lot of money and ”general” or perhaps a better word would be ”generic” answers are not satisfactory for a community with a suffering economy.

The State of West Virginia recieved funding from the Federal Government for COVID relief in the form of the American Rescue Plan. There is a webpage in the works that will supposedly track State expenditures out of this fund, and allow people to see how municipalities and counties in West Virginia are using these funds. But it continues to say ”coming soon.” In the meantime, what money has been spent, or what money that remains, is not known.

So How did the State of West Virginia plan to spend CARES Act relief dollars?

Governor Justice announced the following CARES Act allocations from the $1.25 billion in discretionary funds appropriated to the State by Congress:

$40 million — West Virginia CARES Act Small Business Grant Program

• $265 million — Local Governments (Counties and Municipalities)
• $50 million — National Guard – testing and PPE
• $33 million — Broadband development
• $50 million — Medical access highways
• $287 million — Unemployment benefits (Prior to July 1, 2020)
• $300 million — Unemployment benefits (July 1, 2020 through December 30, 2020)
• $10 million — Fairmont Hospital
• $25 million — Public service districts
• $57 million — State expense reimbursement (FY2020: Q4)
• $96 million — State expense reimbursement (FY2021: Q1 & Q2)
• $25 million — Emergency fund reimbursement
• December 24, Governor Justice has announced the following CARES Act allocation from the $122.8 million in discretionary funds appropriated to the State by Congress:
• $48 million — Nursing Program
• $22 million — Back-to-Work Initiative
• $10 million — Emergency Management Crisis Fund
• $7.25 million — Support for food pantries/homeless shelters
• $250 thousand — Union Mission (Charleston)
• $250 thousand — Clarksburg Mission (Clarksburg)
• $250 thousand — Huntington City Mission (Huntington)
• $250 thousand — Martinsburg Union Rescue Mission (Martinsburg)
• $250 thousand — Bluefield Union Mission (Bluefield)
• $250 thousand — Union Mission of Fairmont | WV Rescue Ministries (Fairmont)
• $250 thousand — Faith Mission Homeless Shelter (Hurricane)
• $6 million — Salvation Army Potomac Division
• $500 thousand — Shepherd University Research Program
• $3 million — Remote work facilities
• $1.5 million — West Virginia State Fairgrounds
• $2 million — West Virginia Game Changers
• $2.7 million — WV Department of Health and Human Resources
• $1.3 million — Do it for Babydog Vaccination Sweepstakes’s
• $3.3 million — Administrative Costs
• $15.2 million — Additional eligible COVID-19 Costs for state agencies

Those numbers are important numbers to be aware of, but again there is no break down as to what those dollars were used for or how it specifically benefits us in Calhoun County.

County Government allocations of money were:

Calhoun County was awarded $1.38 Million Dollars to disperse through the Calhoun County Commission.

Calhoun County Schools

Calhoun County Schools were given a total of $5,755,503.22

For a full list of all West Virginia school funding received by county :

https://wvde.us/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/WVSchoolsPandemicReliefFunding-071521-v1.pdf

For a full list of how Calhoun County used their funding, stay tuned…

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